Yep. That’s my Lenten resolution. I was a bit slow this year about making a resolution, but this one—something I did years ago during my college years—kept returning to my mind. It’s not an original idea—at least I can’t claim it as my own. But I think it’s a keeper and worth repeating—and sharing.

It’s easy to get in a rut of looking at situations and seeing mainly the negative aspects. Most of us can probably remember a time when one critical (negative) piece of feedback colored our whole perspective of an otherwise good and well-received project or effort.

Some people are more critical by nature. I don’t claim to be one of them. But I can be influenced by such people. I can’t completely eliminate them from my life (or even the rest of this Lent), but I can choose how much I will let their view of things affect my own.

A Positive Read
I’ve also decided to read a book that’s been on my office shelf for a while. It’s titled Happy Catholic: Glimpses of God in Everyday Life and is written by Julie Davis. I love quotations, and so does Julie. She starts each brief reflection with a quotation from Scripture, a saint, The Simpsons, movies, books—both religious and secular, and other sources of wisdom. Julie’s journey to becoming a “happy Catholic” is inspirational as well. Raised as an atheist, she accepted the gift of faith and joined the Catholic Church as an adult. Now she blogs about her faith on her popular and aptly named blog Happy Catholic*.

If you’ve been slow to choose a resolution for Lent, consider joining me in eliminating negative thinking. And check out the the Happy Catholic book and blog too. I plan to be smiling more come Easter!